Stone Halls of the Dwarves
Stone Halls of the Dwarves is a book written by the Chantry scholar Brother Genitivi. Chapter 1: Stone Halls of the Dwarves Some years ago, at a time when Orzammar was uncharacteristically open to visitors from the surface, I traveled to the ancient thaig deep beneath the Frostback Mountains to learn more about the dwarven way of life. Like many people of the surface I had met surface dwarves before, but had no idea how truly different they lived from their cousins in the "homeland". Surface dwarves are considered outcasts from Orzammar despite their necessity to farming and trade, and by and large they have eschewed the culture, the politics, the honor, and the brutality of the world they left behind. Hidden from the sight of the Maker, the "dwarva" (as the dwarves refer to themselves, our own word no doubt deriving from theirs) revere the Stone – the very substance that gives them shelter and inspires their creativity and strength. When a dwarf dies an honorable death, he is said to have "gone to the Stone." They do not worship it as a god, however, as I quickly found out upon asking. With stares of incredulity they mocked such notions. The fact that they came from the Stone and thus return to it is, as they see it, a matter of practicality. Most people on the surface think of dwarves and imagine greedy merchants or dour craftsmen, and certainly those are the faces most often seen by those of us who live under the Maker's eye. But a journey to the thaig reveals a culture of nobility and of poverty, of proud warriors and of necessary brutality. Much as the heat of the forge strengthens the blade, the dwarves have been hardened by the constant threat of the darkspawn onslaught, forcing their warriors to excel or die, their craftsmen to create masterpieces of durability and style, and their nobles to engage in a deadly political game of intrigue that shames the goings on in the simpler courts of Ferelden. Everything done in Orzammar is done to fortify the remaining domains of the kingdom (of which there are, regrettably, few) against the relentless onslaught of the darkspawn. A more fascinating culture I have never visited, and my time there was bittersweet. For while I was blessed to be among a people so dedicated and stout-hearted, I could not shake the feeling that I was witnessing the last days of a proud people that, despite their best efforts, were destined to be overrun by evil.The History of the Dwarves. BioWare wiki. Chapter 2: The Paragons Chapter 3: The Endless War I spoke with a dwarf of the Warrior caste who told me tales of sacrifice and honor and glory found in the Deep Roads beyond Orzammar and a realization struck. Whereas we on the surface mark four darkspawn Blights, four distinct periods during which the darkspawn have assaulted us only to be driven back by the Grey Wardens, the dwarves have experienced precisely one: the original one, stretching back to the rise of the first Archdemon, unbroken by peace or respite. The dwarves are a dwindling race, their exiled surface-kin threatening to match their numbers, if the projections of their scholars are correct. They are under a state of constant war, and judging from my warrior-caste friend, this serves as a backdrop for all that they do. Dwarves have few children, and so priceless sons and daughters are sent into battle day after day against the darkspawn, but it is a price that is paid both at the behest of their noble lords and out of a desire for a glorious death. My warrior friend introduced me to the strange custom known as "the Provings." Initially I thought these combat-arena matches to be barbaric on the levels of the great gladiatorial battles of ancient Tevinter, which were said to emulate the dwarven tradition. But my friend noted the true importance of the fights: the dwarves believe that a fighter who wins a Proving has the approval of the Paragons and so they use Provings to settle debates and honor challenges that could not be settled otherwise. This often falls to Warrior-caste champions, and some Proving matches are fought to the death, but even in a dwindling society such as Orzammar, that one death is thought preferable to the widespread bloodshed of a conflict between noble houses. In recent years, the Provings have also been used for entertainment matches and events to honor special guests, and each year the best fighters in Orzammar meet for the Trials of Blood, a great tournament that crowns the kingdom's best and most popular fighter. Being a warrior in Orzammar is, as expected, a bloody, deadly affair, but the warriors accept their role with stoic pride, knowing that they die to save their brethren from death. They have the most to lose in the face of the constant darkspawn threat, but they risk it with stout hearts and unmatched skill. Theirs are lives of battle, meant to end the same way. Chapter 4: Dust in the Wind The Legion of Steel Legion of the Dead Paragons Known and Lesser Known References Category:Books in Dragon Age Category:Dwarven lore